Received on June, 19, 2009, the major project proposal has to undergo various stages of assessment under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act).

Upon receiving the draft environmental assessment, the Director-General asked that a revised environmental assessment be submitted to address key issues such as strategic planning and justification, greenhouse gases, air quality impacts, water cycle management, noise impacts, ecological impacts, heritage impacts, visual impacts hazards and risk impacts, waste management and a general environmental risk analysis.

The director-general also required that consultations take place with the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Climate Change, New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change, NSW Department of Water and Energy, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Singleton Council, Muswellbrook Shire Council and the local community.

The concept plan application was submitted by Macquarie Generation and is for the construction and operation of a new base load power station and associated infrastructure with a maximum generating capacity of 2000 megawatts.

The power station would be powered by either coal (using ultra-supercritical generating technology) or natural gas (using combined cycle generating technology).

Meanwhile, a decision in the case against Macquarie Generation in the NSW Land and Environment Court is yet to be determined.

In July last year Newcastle environmental group Rising Tide commenced the landmark legal challenge alleging that Bayswater power station was unlawfully releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing harm to the environment through its contribution to global warming.

The NSW Environmental Defender’s Office is representing the activists.

The matter has been heard by the court and an outcome had been anticipated before Christmas 2009.